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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

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Ariah Mitchell
Ariah Mitchell
2
Pace PACE 46-12
3
Winner Central Okla. UCO 52-9
Pace PACE
46-12
2
Final
3
Central Okla. UCO
52-9
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Pace PACE 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 1
Central Okla. UCO 0 0 1 0 0 2 X 3 5 0

W: Ritz, Terin (24-4) L: Gisselle Garcia (28-5)

Game Recap: Softball |

Late Rally Pushes Bronchos Past Pace

Sixth-inning Comeback Gives UCO 3-2 First-round Win

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – A video review, a dropped pop-up and daring base-running fueled a frantic late-game rally that carried Central Oklahoma past Pace (N.Y.) in the first round of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship Finals Thursday night.

The No. 4-ranked Bronchos overcame a listless start with a stunning two-out, two-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning to slip past the No. 14 Setters 3-2 in advancing to a Friday afternoon meeting with fifth-ranked Tampa. Game-time is 2:30 p.m. (Eastern).

"I don't know how we figured out how to win that game," said head coach Cody White, whose team improved to 52-9. "We didn't come out like we wanted to and were pressing quite a bit. There's a lot of things we could talk about that we did wrong, but in the end we did what was right.

"We found a way. We stayed aggressive and got back to who we are. This team has proven throughout the year with 50-plus wins that they find ways to win even when they don't have their best stuff and that's what matters."

Pace pitching ace Gisselle Garcia kept UCO off-balance the entire game and time was running out on the Bronchos as they faced a 2-1 deficit with two outs in the sixth when Emily Deramus was hit by pitch to keep the inning alive.

Makenzie Fithian came on to pinch run and then things got interesting. The freshman speedster was called out on an attempted steal of second that would have ended the inning, but White asked for a video review and Fithian was eventually ruled safe because of obstruction.

That brought up Ariah Mitchell and the rookie fouled off four straight two-strike pitches before popping up a high fly ball right in front of the plate. Fithian was off with the swing, White frantically waved her around third and she slid in with the tying run just as Garcia dropped the ball.

Mitchell got to second on the play and she promptly followed Fithian's example, racing around to score on Mari Scott's infield single that was momentarily bobbled to give UCO an improbable 3-2 lead as the Broncho faithful howled their approval.

"We're down and I was really kind of throwing a Hail Mary there," said White of the video review request. "We had our six hole coming up (Mitchell) and Ariah, even as a freshman, is one of our most clutch hitters. We were just trying to extend the inning for her any way that we could.

"Ariah came through in a very unconventional way. We pinch ran another freshman (Fithian) and I told her before we even started the next pitch that she was scoring on anything. It doesn't matter where it is, you just keep turning left and that's what she did and we were fortunate enough to find a way to get across the plate."

UCO capped off the amazing turn of events with three quick outs in the top of the seventh over the shocked Setters as pitcher Terin Ritz got a fly out to Scott in right field, a weak grounder back to the circle and an easy ground ball to Anglen at second.

The Bronchos had survived and advanced.

"I have complete faith in this team and we have faith in each other," Anglen said. "Honestly, I feel like we were calm and we knew we had a job to do and we did it."

"I told the girls I was betting on us," Mitchell said. "No matter how bad we were down, I knew we were going to win the game."

Ritz gave up only four hits, but they all came in the top of the second when Pace scored both its runs. She dominated the rest of the way, giving up just a pair of walks to improve to 24-4 in becoming UCO's all-time wins leader with her 78th career victory.

The Bronchos scored their first run in the third when Rylee Lemos was hit by pitch with two outs, stole second and scored on Anglen's double to the left-center field gap.

UCO didn't threaten again and was on the verge of being pushed into the loser's bracket before mounting its improbable comeback.

"We want to use this momentum, this feeling, and bring it into the first pitch tomorrow," White said. "It didn't start the way we wanted, but we finished and we're going to carry that momentum into tomorrow."
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